Road traffic injuries kill approximately 316 000 people each year in the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR), equivalent to 25% of global road traffic deaths. In addition to deaths, up to 50 million people incur non-fatal injuries each year as a result of road traffic crashes, while there are additional indirect health consequences. Investment in road safety can yield high return to the whole society, in many forms including prevention of premature mortality and disability, prevention of productivity loss, promoting human asset and quality of life, and prevention of health care cost and public damage.

This Ministerial level meeting in the WHO South-East Asia Region is an important step to inspire and accelerate action on the five pillars of the “UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020”, both at national and sub-national levels. The multisectoral participation will strengthen collaboration both within and among stakeholder ministries, UN agencies and other related international/Regional organizations to scale-up action to make roads safer in the Region, in particular for the vulnerable road users. This meeting will also be an opportunity for consideration of the Regional appropriate targets and indicators for road safety and a plan of action to achieve the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3.6 and SDG 11.2).

Theme for 2015 - Children and Road Safety
Every three minutes a child is prematurely lost on the roads of this world. Hundreds of others are injured, many of them severely. These traumatic events cause immeasurable suffering and grief, and at times economic hardship for families and friends. In addition, they cost societies precious resources, diverting these from other pressing health and development challenges. Many of the children who are victims of this man-made calamity are poor. Attempts to address road safety for children are, therefore, inextricably linked to notions of social justice, and should be part of global efforts to reduce poverty..

Break Barriers, Open Doors: For an Inclusive Society and Development for All

Photo Credit: SNMRC

Over 1 billion people, 15% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability. South-East Asia has the 2nd highest prevalence of disability with 16% having a moderate or severe disability, of which 2.9% are severely disabled. To raise awareness about the issues that people living with disabilities face, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is held every year on 3 December, this year being the 21st such day.
Persons with disabilities face physical, social, economic and attitudinal barriers that exclude them from participating as fully and effectively as other members of society. Globally, efforts are being made to rectify this and to increase disabled people’s ability to participate in all activities. For example, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals requires the inclusion and integration of the rights, and well-being, as well as the perspective of persons with disabilities in development efforts at national, regional and international levels.

Saving millions of lives: Decade of Action for Road Safety

1.24 million people die each year in road traffic accidents and data on non-fatal traffic injuries is weak, though it is estimated that for every road traffic fatality at least 20 people sustain non-fatal injuries. Low and middle income countries bear a disproportionately high burden of road traffic deaths. Without action, road traffic injuries are predicted to be the seventh leading cause of death globally by 2030.
Road traffic accidents accounted for 334 815 deaths in WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR) during 2010; Middle-income countries have the highest annual road traffic fatality rates, at 20.1 per 100 000 population; Young adults aged between 15 and 44 account for 59% of global road traffic deaths; More than three-quarters (77%) of all road traffic deaths occur among men; Half of the world’s road traffic deaths occur among motorcyclists (23%), pedestrians (22%) and cyclists (5%) – i.e. “vulnerable road users”